Lesson three. Sphinx.

Astra walks to the clearing with a bright smile and next to her stood an sphinx, glowing with pride. She changes the clearing to a desert scene so the Sphinx is more at home and it lays down, looking at Astra with gold eyes. ''Thank you for coming, old friend. Prepare a riddle please...'' The golden sphinx nods and looks at Astra's desk which had a gold bracelet on it, it's eyebrow raises and Astra throws it at her with a smile. ''Always loved your gold.'' It nods again and Astra changes her long dress to a sundress. She sent out a notice to her students to dress up for very, warm weather so she waits to see if they listened. She creates a tent so the sun doesn't burn the students and puts tree trunks under the tent. She sits on one and the sphinx moves to sit next to her, glowing with gold trinkets and looking beautiful. Her gold eyes look up at Astra and nods, Astra strokes it's head and the creature purrs, pride growing. ''Just have to wait for the students now.''

Ginny walks to the grounds. She had recieved the owl Professor Ravenwood had sent, and dressed accordingly. "Hello Professor." She greeted. She didn't know how to address the Sphinx though. Should she say 'Hello Sphinx'? or would that seem to offensive? Did Sphinxes have names? She decided to greet the Sphinx with just a Hello.

Astra looks up to see Ginny. ''Hello Miss McCall...please just call me Astra. I'm starting to feel old. This is Eremus, the sphinx. I shall begin the lesson when more students arrive. Whilst we wait, you can do whatever you wish.'' She smiles at the girl and strokes Eremus' head.

B'elena walked to the grounds, dressed like the Professor had mentioned in the owl. She noticed, that her cousin was there. "Hullo Professor." She greeted. She had arrived in time to here 'This is Eremus, the sphinx.' She smiled, "And Hello Eremus." She greeted the Sphinx.

Astra turns to see another girl. ''Hello Miss Torres. Please call me Astra, i feel old!'' She grins and feels the Sphinx under her hand nod. ''Hello girls. I am Eremus, the oldest sphinx left in the world.'' It says in a deep but calming voice and Astra strokes it's mane.

Ginny nods,and sees B'elena. She listened to Eremus' little speech. Wow, the oldest sphinx in the world?! she thought. I wonder how old? she wondered.

B'elena wondered how old exactly. "May I ask how old?" She asked. She hoped she wasn't being impolite or something.

Eremus looks at Ginny. ''I am around 20 thousand years old. Others like me are around 10 thousand or even less.'' He had heard the thought and replied. ''If you have any other questions, you can ask instead of thinking it, Ginny Gage McCall and B'elena Torres.'' He said their names and Astra giggles slightly. ''Eremus, you're going to startle them.'' Eremus looks at her and chuckles. ''Sorry old friend and B'elena. That wasn't rude at all. You are merely curious.''

Ginny looked at Eremus, clearly startled. 20 thousand years old was quite old. "So. You can read minds?" She asked.

B'elena nods. A mind reader. she thought. "Can all Sphinxes do that? read minds?" She asked, curious. Sphinxes were quite interesting, especially if this one was 20 thousand years old.

Lyra walks to CoMC class dressed as Professor Ravenwood had wanted. She saw Ginny already there with someone she didn't know, Professor Ravenwood, and a Sphinx. "Interesting..." she thought, speeding up her footsteps. She waved and grinned to Ginny and greeted the Professor and Sphinx with a murmured hello.

Ginny saw Lyra, and smiled. "Hi Lyra." She said. She wondered if she ought to introduce Lyra to B'elena but decided not to.

Eremus chuckles noticing she's startled. ''yes i can, child. I lived with the Egyptian gods and goddesses before they left for the skies. They gave me the powers to do anything as i was loyal since my creation.'' He explains and he looks at her with gold eyes. ''It may be old, Child but it gives me chances to be loyal to other people like i've been loyal to the Ravenwood family for thousands of years as distantly they were Egyptian.'' He explains. He looks at B'elena. ''Not all. I am a rare kind.'' He explains and looks at the new girl. ''Hello Lyra Nerina. I am Eremus.'' Astra looks up to see Lyra and smiles. ''Hello Miss Nerina.''

Luna walks into the desert clearing and see's three students and her mother with Eremus. ''Hello Mother, Ginny, B'elena and Lyra.'' She looks at Eremus closely and grins. ''Hello my old friend, Eremus. Hope my mother is treating you nicely.'' She grins and sits down making sure her white shorts don't rise up.

Ginny noticed Luna was here. "Hi Luna." She greeted her.

Luna looks at Ginny with her still dark blue eyes. ''Hello Ginny. How are you?'' She asks with interest. She avoids eye contact with her mother so she doesn't panic at not being accepted yet and just smiles at Ginny.

"I'm great." She replied. "How about you?"

Luna smiles. ''That's good and i'm great too.'' She replies looking around for others students.

Lyra jumps a little at the Sphinx's reply. "Hello, Eremus," she said, smiling at him after getting over her shock. "Hello Luna," she adds after seeing Luna arrive.

Luna turns to Lyra and grins. ''Hiya Lyra!'' Eremus looks at the girl and nods. ''No need to jump, child. I'm harmless.'' He laughs and Luna rolls her eyes at him. ''Harmless!? Ya sure about that!?'' She lifts her shirt a little to reveal claw mark scars. ''You did this to me? Never play fighting with you again.'' She laughs and Eremus rolls his eyes.

Dragon strolls over and whispers to Astra ''Dante may be late...well...Even more so. Or...He might not show up at all...I kinda....burnt his arm during a potion creation. Sorry. If he does show. Please excuse him. After all. His left hand is useless and it hurts him to move. So again. Sorry, no idea if he will show or not.'' he smiles at her and awaits her response.

Astra turns to Dragon and nods. ''That is awful...Completely understandable.'' She looks at Luna making sure she didn't hear this but by the way, her eyes darkened, she knew she heard. She sighs and looks back at Dragon. ''If he does not show, give him these.'' She pulls out paper on Sphinx's and hands it to him with a smile.

Dragon nods. ''Oh...By the way. Luna and Dante are in love. Thought you ought to know.'' He whispered. He took the papers and smiled at her. Again. Awaiting her response.

Astra's grey eyes go to Luna who's listening in. She looks pale so Astra look back at Dragon. ''How do you know Dante loves her? I know Luna loves him...She would even if she wasn't a half Veela.'' She whispers back, smiling back

Luna listens in on the conversation the moment she see's Dragon. She feels her heart pause for a moment and breathing was hard. She feels her mind go back to earlier when she felt a faint but still painful feeling in her arm. She looks at her mother with pleading eyes which she ignores. She feels her eyes darken a little bit with the need to help Dante. She looks at Eremus and feels like doing the lesson. ''Eremus. What's it like in Egypt?'' She asks curious but also trying to distract her mind from thinking of Dante which was a near impossibility. Eremus looks at her with knowing eyes. ''It's very hot but lonely. All sphinxes have their own place to protect. I protect the pyramids that belonged to the most powerful Pharaohs but there is no one else. Once a year, the females go by but that's that. They don't come back until they give you the children. I've not had a female in 10 thousand years as the last female was the one i fell for.'' He looks down sadly but then brings his confidence back. Luna looks at him sadly. ''Oh Eremus...that's sounds horrible. I'd hate to be alone...'' She states and he smiles. ''It is but truthfully, I'm not alone right now..Seeing as i've been with the Ravenwood's for around 200 years...maybe more i do not know. My children are looking after the pyramids.'' He smiles and lays his head down on the ground, causing Luna to grin.